Cave Temples in Sri Lanka

Batadombalena Cave

Province

Sabaragamuwa

District

Ratnapura

Nearest Town

Kuruwita

Period

Unknown

Ruler

Unknown

Batadombalena is an archeological site in Sri Lanka . It is located on the southwest, 85km southeast of Colombo . Batadombalena includes several caves, which are of great historical significance. Archaeological excavations have revealed the skeletal remains of the Balangoda nation - stone tools and carefully trimmed fragments of jewellery of shells and ostrich egg shells. Archaeologists could thus prove the close connection and cooperation of African and Indian cultures. Therefore, Batadombalena belongs to one of the most important archeological discoveries in the world.

History

Batadombalena Cave is roughly the same size as the nearby Batatotalena Cave (50x60x80ft). Like Batatotalena, it is of great historic importance due to some fascinating archaeological findings such as the skeletal remains of the prehistoric ‘Balangoda Man’ and various land and freshwater shells that have been excavated, dating back to over 28,000 BC.
To reach the cave one has to come to ‘Eknelingoda Walauwa’, situated 3km from Eratna along the Kuruwita – Eratna road. From here you travel a further 2km to the end of the road and walk about about 1km up the hill.
The evidence he found of Balangoda Man in Batadombalena were some stone tools that may have been arrow- or spearheads, and carefully shaped and perforated beads made from fragments of ostrich eggshell. A further piece of ostrich eggshell, incised with a distinctive criss-cross motif, has also been found.